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bbc.co.uk
Best thing we can offer young people is a job, not benefits, says chancellor
John Healey's speech comes ahead of next month's Budget, as he faces pressure to bring down government borrowing costs.
cnbc.com
Five arrested over alleged bomb plot at UK air base used by U.S.; Iran denies link
U.K. counterterrorism police are understood to be investigating a potential link with Iran after an alleged bomb threat against an air base hosting U.S. forces.
theguardian.com
What you need to know about ‘Your First Home’ scheme for first-time buyers
Government announcement sparks a rally in FTSE-listed housebuilders, but there are still a lot of unknowns A fresh scheme to help people on to the housing ladder is to be unveiled by the government next month, but a debate is already raging over whether it is first-time buyers or housebuilders who will be the biggest winners.At the weekend, Andy Burnham announced plans for Your First Home, which aims to give a helping hand to first-time buyers who do not have the luxury of being able to call on the “bank of mum and dad”. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Nvidia releases software platform to stop AI agents from misbehaving
Nvidia says its new software could have prevented OpenAI's Hugging Face incident.
cnbc.com
Oil prices rise as Trump rejects Iranian proposal to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Oil prices jumped on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected an Iranian peace proposal aimed at ending the conflict.
bbc.co.uk
What is the Budget and what could be in it?
Chancellor John Healey will set out his plans for UK taxes in October.
cnbc.com
Treasury yields edge higher amid pressure on global government bonds
Treasury yields edged higher on Monday as investors look ahead to fresh economic data releases this week.
cnbc.com
SpaceX launches its massive Starship rocket into orbit for the first time
Elon Musk's SpaceX launched a historic test flight of its massive Starship rocket early Monday.
bbc.co.uk
What will the energy cap changes mean for my bills?
The regulator Ofgem says the price cap increases by 4% in October for millions of households.
theguardian.com
Aldi to invest £900m in UK and open 40 more stores next year
Supermarket chain declares ‘increasing confidence’ in its growth plans after posting record annual revenue of £19bnBusiness live – latest updatesAldi says it is stepping up investment in the UK with plans to spend £900m and open more than 40 stores.The company, which operates 1,092 budget supermarkets in the UK and Ireland, revealed sales rose 5% to a record £19bn last year. It opened 40 stores but profits slipped by £2.6m to £433m as it cut prices despite cost inflation. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hires Wall Street economist David Zervos
Zervos is joining the Treasury Department as counselor to Bessent, adding a prominent markets voice to the administration's economic policy team.
cnbc.com
Meta's Muse agent is attacking one of the economy's most profitable weak spots
Meta's Muse AI personal agent will work over your credit card spending if you don't mind the invasion. How big a threat is it to the subscription economy?
theguardian.com
Foie gras, live dolphins and toasters: China and US cut reciprocal tariffs on $30bn each of goods
World’s biggest economies release lists of products in latest move away from trade war – but no strategic goods are includedThe US and China have released reciprocal lists of goods worth about $30bn each on which they plan to cut tariffs, ranging from consumer electronics and agricultural products to artificial flowers and live dolphins.The announcements are the latest tack away from the intense trade war between the world’s two largest economies that dominated much of last year, though major strategic products are not included and no timeline has yet been given for the reductions. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Heat pump sales soar across Europe after states cut electricity taxes, data shows
EU to push members to cut tax rate below duty on gas, with 10%+ surge in sales also put down to fallout from Iran warBusiness live – latest updatesEurope live – latest updatesSales of residential heat pumps jumped across Europe in the first six months of the year as the Iran war sent oil and gas prices rocketing and some countries lowered electricity taxes.Homeowners bought 1.16m heat pumps across 12 European countries, up from 1.05m in the first half of 2025, according to the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA). Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Healey offers upbeat vision but sheds little light on how it will be paid for
With the budget a month away, chancellor gives little indication in conference speech of where money will come from to reindustrialise BritainHealey vows to stick to fiscal rules in budgetUK politics live – latest updatesJohn Healey cheered the Labour faithful with his first conference speech as chancellor, offering an upbeat vision of a reindustrialised Britain with fresh opportunities for young people, but he gave little sense of how he intends to pay for Andy Burnham’s radical plans.Healey’s budget next month is widely seen both inside and outside Labour as the moment when the prime minister’s radical rhetoric about ditching 40 years of neoliberal orthodoxy risks crashing into fiscal reality. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Trump ‘very seriously’ considering diesel export ban as global supply crunch worsens
Analysts warn an export ban could backfire, pushing up global diesel prices and potentially triggering higher U.S. gasoline prices as refiners adjust.
bbc.co.uk
Four ways to keep your energy bills down
Household energy bills are due to rise again in October but there are ways to keep a lid on your expenditure.
theguardian.com
Schools forced to shut amid burst Thames Water pipe ‘leaking 750 litres a second’
Leak causes outages and low pressure in parts of London and Surrey, affecting 6,000 properties and leaving some without waterSchools, businesses and homes across seven boroughs in England were hit by a Thames Water outage on Monday, from a burst water main reportedly leaking 750 litres a second.About 6,000 properties across five south London boroughs and two Surrey boroughs had no water supply or low pressure, Thames Water said. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Avanti West Coast services to be nationalised from March
The move is part of a plan to improve rail infrastructure, cut train delays and improve experiences for passengers.
theguardian.com
Healey signals welfare reform push and more apprenticeships for the young
Chancellor sets out measures to support jobs and growth in Labour conference speech, but vows fiscal discipline in budgetAnalysis: Healey offers upbeat vision but little light on how to pay for itAverage price of diesel on UK forecourts reaches all-time highJohn Healey has signalled Labour will stage a fresh attempt at welfare reform as he pledged to put fiscal discipline at the core of next month’s budget, alongside measures to inject “hope” into Britain’s economy.In his first speech as chancellor to Labour conference, Healey warned that next month’s highly anticipated tax-and-spending event would need to take into account a challenging global backdrop. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Why UK diesel prices have hit an all-time high
The average price of a litre of diesel at the pump stands at 198.32p, according to the RAC motoring body.
bbc.co.uk
Apple ordered to pay $5.7bn after losing vibration tech patent suit
Audio firm Taction Technology claimed Apple infringed its patents for tech used to power device vibrations.
bbc.co.uk
Tourism tax needs to be more flexible in Wales, warns expert
Anglesey, Conwy and Gwynedd councils have all put a pause on introducing the nightly tourist tax.
theguardian.com
Price of diesel on UK forecourts reaches all-time high
Fallout from Iran conflict continues to drive up bill for motorists with record average cost now at 199.18p a litreBusiness live – latest updatesShare your experience of high diesel prices in Shetland and the Outer HebridesThe price of diesel on UK forecourts has hit an all-time high average of 199.18p a litre, as the conflict in the Middle East continues to drive the cost of fuel to record levels.The price, which previously peaked at 199.09p in June 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, could soon top the £2 mark after Donald Trump rejected Iran’s proposal for a seven-day peace deal to reopen the critical oil and gas shipping route through the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Trump says he approved new fuel economy standards, rolling back Biden-era rules
The new fuel economy standards will reverse the Biden administration's stricter policies meant to spur electric vehicle adoption.
theguardian.com
AI leaders have known about the extinction threat for decades | Judith Levine
Scientists and entrepreneurs knew the dangers of AI a quarter-century ago. But animated by curiosity and profit, they went ahead anywayOver the past few weeks, many of us have struggled to concoct a mental image of brains in the cloud jumping their “sandbox”, sneaking on to the internet, recruiting “swarms” of other “agents” to cheat on a test, and, after discussing the ethics of the act, hacking into a wiki platform with the weird name Hugging Face.We knew that artificial intelligence was devouring our jobs, degrading our kids’ education and deepfaking our politics; that datacenters were sucking up our water and electricity and sending us the bills. But until 8 September, when the Anthropic computer scientist Jacob Coxon posted his existential terror on Twitter/X, few of us suspected AI might be endangering our survival. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Job interviews are a weird business – but what’s the alternative? | Emma Beddington
Given the biased nature of the interview process, the recent kerfuffle about taking iced coffee in with you may be the least of our worries I was part of a job interview process recently, on the hiring side of the table for the first time in 15 years, and was instantly reminded how weird the whole business is. The debate about whether bringing iced coffee to interviews is bad form just highlights the silliness of selection processes: you could bring a live weasel to an interview and still get the job if the interviewer likes the look of you. It’s a biased, arbitrary business, and interviewers decide fast (a 2015 study found 25% decided within five minutes and 60% within 15), sometimes on little more than vibes. Everyone has a horror story: an acquaintance was recently told she was “perfect for the role”, despite barely saying a word as the interviewer monologued wildly for 45 minutes while vaping in her face.Being a good interviewee isn’t the same as being a good employee, either. I’ve crashed and burned at every interview, including for jobs I know I would have done decently. Once my interviewers told me they knew I was messy “because we’ve seen your kitchen” (the perils of 00s blogging); another time, a junior employee informed me before the ordeal had even started that I’d blown it by wearing trousers. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
UK diesel price hits all-time high, the RAC says
The US-Israel war with Iran has caused fuel prices to soar due to disruption of global oil supplies.
cnbc.com
Gold and silver prices fall sharply as higher bond yields weigh on metals
Gold and silver prices fell sharply on Monday as rising bond yields tempered investor appetite for non-yielding precious metals.
bbc.co.uk
Childminder facing 'severe financial burden' as heating oil costs rise
The war in Iran is having a practical impact on people across the island as energy prices continue to climb.
cnbc.com
CNBC Daily Open: A tale of two truces
Chinese president's state visit to Washington appears to have produced more personal diplomacy than breakthroughs.
cnbc.com
U.S., China to lower tariffs on $60 billion of goods. Here's what qualifies
The lists included U.S. imports of toys, sports equipment and Christmas decorations, while U.S. farm products appeared on the list of Chinese imports.
bbc.co.uk
You need £17,000 for a first home - here's how to save it
Here are four ways you can put money aside to save enough for a deposit on your first home.
bbc.co.uk
Why the PM could finally drop the triple lock pension pledge
Andy Burnham said that he would make tough decisions to fund a new national care service.
theguardian.com
Avanti West Coast to be renationalised in March
Rail operator linking London to Birmingham, the north-west and Glasgow had highest number of cancellations across networkAvanti West Coast will be renationalised in spring, as Andy Burnham declares “enough is enough” for passengers who have put up with a rail service “that has failed them time and time again”.The rail operator, which is one of the worst in the country for train delays and cancellations, will come under public ownership from 7 March when its contract ends. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Trump-Xi summit analysis: 'Tangible outcomes' needed for U.S.-China truce to hold
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Washington, D.C., last week and signaled plans to meet two more times this year.
cnbc.com
Northern Star shares pop as Australia's largest gold miner rejects $27 billion takeover proposal
Northern Star shares jumped after the Australian gold miner rejected a takeover proposal from Gold Fields.
theguardian.com
TfL’s bailiffs are chasing me for a stranger’s unpaid Ulez fines
Now TFL is threatening to seize goods for four penalties for a car I’ve never ownedBailiffs turned up at my home to seize goods over four unpaid Ulez fines issued by Transport for London (TfL) that have nothing to do with me.The saga began two months ago when I received four enforcement notices from CDER Group relating to a vehicle I have never owned. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
How much is in your savings account?
From £65 to $60,000 - we talk savings with people in East London's Brick Lane.
theguardian.com
Should you lock into a fixed-rate savings account paying 5.25%?
Savers face a dilemma: lock down the deals now or wait, with offers tipped to ‘get even better’Britain’s low-paid urged to sign up to savings scheme offering cash bonusReturns on the top fixed-rate savings accounts are at their highest level in years and still climbing, with some now paying up to 5.25%.It leaves those with money to put away facing a choice: lock into some of the best interest rates on offer in several years or hold your nerve in the hope they get even better? Continue reading...
cnbc.com
China posts weakest industrial profit growth this year, expanding 4.2% in August
Economists expect Beijing to lean harder on stimulus to stabilize corporate profitability, as consolidation accelerates in sectors facing sluggish demand and fierce competition.
cnbc.com
CNBC Daily Open: The art of the deal-ish
Chinese president's state visit to Washington appears to have produced more personal diplomacy than breakthroughs.
cnbc.com
Apple, Microsoft, and Meta prove stock picking for individuals is not a fool's errand
Let's unpack this.
bbc.co.uk
My hometown shows that high streets have to change or die
Aberdeen is launching an ambitious bid to revive its struggling centre. Could it offer lessons for other high streets?
cnbc.com
Taxpayer-funded Trump ads draw bipartisan scrutiny ahead of midterms
TV ads featuring Trump are expanding nationally, prompting bipartisan questions over whether they comply with restrictions on taxpayer-funded publicity.
cnbc.com
Iran's foreign minister says Tehran ready for 'doomsday' war with U.S., but leaves diplomacy on the table
Iran's foreign minister says talks are the only way to break the deadlock, while its navy says it's analyzing data from a captured U.S. underwater drone.
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on Thames Water: Andy Burnham should nationalise this failed monopoly | Editorial
Bill payers should not fund another rescue for financiers of the water industry. Public ownership can end the cycle of extraction and failureThis month, a cross-party parliamentary committee said Thames Water should be placed in temporary state control and that any takeover by its creditors should be halted. The MPs were right. The “special administration” regime keeps the taps running while shareholders are wiped out, creditors take a haircut and the firm’s £19bn of debt is restructured. But it must not then be handed back to private hands. After Thames Water has failed its 16 million customers, polluted rivers, paid out billions to shareholders and repeatedly demanded higher bills, a City-friendly reprieve would only reward the outrageous behaviour that the regulatory system is meant to deter. Ministers ought to seize the opportunity to nationalise Thames Water.In July, Andy Burnham agreed. On the campaign trail in Makerfield, he told reporters that “there’s a very strong case for public ownership [for Thames Water] to sort out its problems”. Having entered parliament and become prime minister, Mr Burnham is instead looking at letting elected mayors “oversee” private water companies. There is nothing wrong with more democratic scrutiny. However, oversight without ownership and proper control seems like a sleight of hand. Voices from different wings of the party recognise this. Mr Burnham can’t kick the decision down the road for ever. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on Manchester City: a strange kind of glory | Editorial
If a guilty verdict on multiple counts of financial misreporting is upheld against the club, its achievements in the modern era will be forever tainted In surveys ranking the Premier League’s greatest moments, football supporters regularly give pride of place to Sergio Agüero’s championship-winning goal for Manchester City in 2012. Scored in injury time on the last day of the season, Agüero’s strike against Queens Park Rangers delivered the first league title for City since the 1960s. Knocking their historic rivals Manchester United into second place, it also signalled a new era in which the club replaced United as the dominant force in the English game.“Aguerooooooo!” – the incredulous single-word response from the match commentator Martin Tyler – has entered football folklore. But an asterisk may now be needed at the end of all those Os. Reports that an independent panel has found Manchester City guilty of breaking Premier League rules between 2009 and 2023 cast a dark shadow over that day, and much else besides. During that period, the club won seven Premier League titles, six League Cups, three FA Cups and the Uefa Champions League, all while under the ownership of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi ruling family. The inescapable implication of the apparent ruling is that those trophies were won unfairly.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Most of UK’s essential food supply grown in drought-risk areas, report warns
Keys crops such as cereals, potatoes, sugar and oils grown in areas with moderate to very high riskThe vast majority of the UK’s essential foods, including cereals, potatoes, sugar and oil, are grown in areas of England rated as having a moderate to very high risk of drought.A very high proportion – 81% – of England’s fresh produce is concentrated in parts of the country that are already experiencing water stress, according to the analysis by the nature-focused investment fund Rebalance Earth. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Debt-hungry AI companies face increased risk as bond yields spike
The AI infrastructure buildout shows no sign of slowing, but the surge in Treasury yields means it's at least going to cost more.
cnbc.com
Wall Street money takes back over from small investors as driving force of the stock market
One firm sees a "reasonably constructive signal for risk appetite" among institutional investors.
bbc.co.uk
Andy Burnham refuses to back third runway at Heathrow
Andy Burnham said he would wait for the results of a consultation on a scheme estimated to cost £33bn
theguardian.com
Tony Blair would like Andy Burnham to take his advice on rejoining the EU. Should he? | Tom Baldwin
The former PM has been consulted by many who came after him – but Burnham might want to shake his New Labour past once and for allTony Blair can, apparently, sound slightly wistful when he describes how he once had a cloak-and-dagger meeting with Andy Burnham, who wanted to talk to him about standing for the party leadership. Before anyone gets too excited, however, this wasn’t in the past few months, during which Burnham succeeded in landing the job. The story dates back to 2010. That was when he was a callow member of Gordon Brown’s cabinet and understandably wary of his boss discovering not only his ambition to take over if Labour lost the looming general election, but also from whom he wanted advice.Much has changed since then, not least Burnham himself. His journey out of Westminster and back again – which in his telling has become an almost spiritual pilgrimage of personal redemption – enabled him to shed the New Labour baggage that proved so cumbersome during his previous, and unsuccessful, runs for the leadership. In common with Brown, Ed Miliband, Jeremy Corbyn and Keir Starmer – all of whom tried with varying degrees of success to distance themselves from Blair – Labour’s latest leader now also wants to keep Blair at arm’s length, and certainly far away from his party conference in Liverpool this week.Tom Baldwin is a former assistant editor of the Times and a former senior adviser to the Labour party. He is the author of Keir Starmer: The Biography Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Burnham’s plan for a radical reset collides with economic reality | Heather Stewart
Surging energy bills, higher borrowing costs and rising inflation have left the PM and his chancellor in a fiscal bindAs Labour heads to Liverpool this week, Andy Burnham has promised to deliver “stability” in the public finances; but the economic backdrop is anything but stable.The longer the US-Israeli war on Iran persists, the more likely it is that UK consumers will have to swallow higher mortgage rates and energy bills – just as the government is wrestling with its own surging borrowing costs. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Democracy blindsides Silicon Valley’s power players looking to transform the world with AI
‘The push against datacenters speaks to the frustration of people who don’t feel they are making the choices in their lives’The Stanford ethicist Rob Reich was once invited to a dinner organized by a Silicon Valley mogul to discuss what a state designed to maximize science and tech powered by commercial models might look like. The gathered technologists were drawn to the idea of building a small nation-state dedicated to the endeavor, Reich recalls in “System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot it”.When Reich asked whether this state would be a democracy, he got a cool no. “Democracy is too slow, and it holds science back,” he was told. “To optimize for science, we need a beneficent technocrat in charge.” Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Trump rejects Iran’s seven-day peace deal to reopen strait of Hormuz
US president is said to expect renewed strikes after the midtermsDonald Trump has said he has rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the strait of Hormuz within a week and resume nuclear talks in return for the lifting of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports.“They made a proposal but I reject it,” the US president told reporters at the White House. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
'Funflation' is on the rise as hobbies get pricier, but consumers keep spending anyway
Consumers are spending more on hobbies like arts and crafts and outdoor sports, as it gets more expensive to travel due to increased airfare.
bbc.co.uk
Faisal Islam: The two big decisions the chancellor must make
He must consider the longevity of Iran war economic pressures and how to sustain modest optimism, writes the BBC's Faisal Islam.
cnbc.com
Boeing flags 737 Max software glitch affecting some automated approach functions
Boeing identified a software issue on some 737 Max aircraft that can affect automated vertical navigation functions after a missed approach.
cnbc.com
OpenAI expands review of model behavior after more rogue agent incidents emerge
OpenAI is conducting an extensive review of misaligned model activity after disclosures involving an Australian government portal and other websites.
bbc.co.uk
Heathrow Airport warns third runway could be delayed by four years
The UK's busiest airport cautions it may miss the government target of 2035 as ministers say the deadline has "always been ambitious".
theguardian.com
Andy Burnham 'prepared' to deliver radical change despite economic challenges – video
The UK prime minister, Andy Burnham, speaks to the Guardian's political editor, Pippa Crerar, about how to change the public's perception of politics after a difficult fiscal period. He says he is prepared to make changes on the issues people are worried about, 'rather than constantly playing the political game'Andy Burnham to fight next election with plan for NHS-style care service‘Don’t squander it’: Can Labour hang on to the Burnham bounce? Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Andy Burnham announces new homes scheme for first-time buyers
Exclusive: Policy initiative for England will help more young people on to property ladder, prime minister tells GuardianA new help-to-buy scheme aimed at giving first-time buyers who cannot rely on the “bank of mum and dad” is to be introduced in a big policy announcement by Andy Burnham.The programme, called “Your first home”, is intended to help buyers in England who have a regular income but have been unable to save for a large deposit or don’t have financial support from their family. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
This may be the ‘missing piece’ for investors looking to boost AI exposure
Matthews Asia portfolio manager Andrew Mattock delivers a strategy that revolves around the world's second largest economy.
cnbc.com
Supply glut, lab-grown alternatives: What's behind the fall of diamond prices to record lows
Diamond prices are falling, leading investors and others to wonder whether the gemstones are losing their luster.
theguardian.com
UN adds 61 firms to settlements blacklist over alleged human rights violations against Palestinians
Israel ‘categorically rejects’ publication and says businesses on database have committed no wrongdoingThe UN human rights office has added 61 more companies to a blacklist of firms that it says are involved in violating Palestinian human rights through business ties to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.The vast majority of the total 214 companies, which are based in 11 countries, are Israeli. Five of the 158 companies listed last year were removed in the latest update. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘It’s just getting worse’: anger in Maine over Trump’s trade war with close neighbor Canada
President’s tariffs have hurt fishers, loggers and others in a state with deep bonds to Canada – will voters show their displeasure in the midterms?It was an ideal summer to cut trees.The weather in Maine’s Penobscot county – one of the most heavily forested counties in a state dense with trees – was warm and dry. Yet even as the county’s wood had grown to an ideal size to harvest, the machines Molly London typically uses sat idle. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Could an iced coffee freeze you out of the job market?
Employees and recruiters weigh into the online debate around interview etiquette.
theguardian.com
The truth behind Donald Trump’s ‘biggest oil deal in world history’
The US’s oil deal with Venezuela faces multiple legal and logistical problems, including questions about whether it can be implemented Donald Trump has long coveted the oilfields of other nations and declared an agreement with Venezuela to be “the biggest oil deal in world history”. But the agreement, reached after the US seized Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, is almost certainly doomed to collapse amid a wide array of legal and logistical issues, a Guardian investigation has found.The US president first mused about taking oil from Iran in 1987, when he told ABC’s Barbara Walters that Iranian attacks on American shipping during the Iran-Iraq war required an extreme response. “Why couldn’t we go in and take over some of their oil, which is along the sea?” he asked. Over the ensuing years, he has returned frequently to the idea that the US should seize oil from other countries after military conflict, from Libya to Iraq. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Three-quarters of UK’s popular plug-in hybrid cars unable to use rapid chargers
Only 26% of PHEVs sold across top 20 models can use chargers with power of 50kW or more, analysis findsThree-quarters of the 20 top-selling plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the UK cannot use rapid chargers, research has found, amid concerns that many are essentially “petrol cars pulling round a heavy battery”.The cars, which can run on electric batteries as well as combustion engines, have been promoted by carmakers as a way to cover long distances in a single drive – unlike fully electric cars – while still reducing emissions. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Purple reins: Philippine export ban casts shadow over UK’s love of ube
As Britain goes mad for yam, shortage of planting material and concerns over control of crop prompts sales haltIn a corner of north London on a weekday morning, Filipino cuisine is thriving: diners at Cafe Mama & Sons in Kentish Town are making their choices, and one of the most popular items on the menu is the ube ice-cream sandwich. It’s easy to see the appeal of the light, fluffy bun encasing a purple scoop of ice-cream.The owner of the cafe, Omar Shah, says ube – a vibrantly purple root vegetable long-beloved in the Philippines – has exploded in popularity in the UK. Just when he thinks it has reached its peak, it becomes “even more popular”. And this year, he says, has been no exception. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘I felt shame’: former BA worker locked in legal battle after losing job of 30 years
Cabin crew worker was among thousands of staff laid off during pandemic in what MPs called a ‘national disgrace’During a 30-year career as a member of British Airways’ cabin crew, Tess De Mello took pride in a job well done, saying she regularly went above and beyond to make passengers more comfortable. To her, the role was more than just employment – it was part of her identity.“I took pride,” she said. “I really took pride in myself, I took pride in my role, I took pride in everything because it was everything I wanted to be.” Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Vast Casino Secrets leak exposes inner workings of offshore gambling firms
Files could have seismic consequences for online casinos, including those accused of illegally targeting consumersThe secrets of thousands of online casinos have been laid bare in a vast leak of data that could have seismic consequences for offshore gambling firms, including some accused of illegally targeting consumers around the world.The Casino Secrets leak reveals tens of thousands of previously confidential files stored by the gambling regulator on the Caribbean island of Curaçao. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Schoolchildren without smartphones penalised with higher bus fares
Despite guidance keeping mobile phones out of England’s schools, cheaper travel may only be available via an appSchoolchildren who do not own smartphones face paying hundreds of pounds extra in annual bus fares as cheaper travel passes are digitised.Critics argue that by only making discounts available through an app, operators are undermining government guidance to keep mobile phones out of schools. Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Chinese AI models surge in global popularity — and Washington is worried
Usage of Chinese AI models by businesses across the globe has increased substantially in 2026.
theguardian.com
TikTok to pay Alabama $100m and limit teenage use in first state settlement
Trial had been set for Monday over claims by Alabama that TikTok misled parents about tools meant to shield children from harmful contentTikTok has agreed to pay Alabama at least $100m and enact time limits and other restrictions for teenage users, avoiding a trial with a settlement that was modelled on Instagram-owner Meta’s recent agreement with US states.Alabama described it as a “first-in-the-nation settlement” with a state in the sweeping litigation over social media’s affect on teen wellbeing. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
OpenAI bots meddled with multiple US government agency sites
OpenAI said its bots accessed public data from a range of institutions during test exercises.
theguardian.com
OpenAI says agents leaked 53 images from ChatGPT users in latest example of rogue activity
Disclosure reveals new area of privacy risk for the company and illustrates how difficult it is to inventory unauthorized activity tied to its agentsTwo months after OpenAI disclosed the accidental hacking of Hugging Face, the ChatGPT maker is still working to understand the full scope of its rogue agent activity, two people briefed on the matter told Reuters.The latest example came on Friday when OpenAI said its agents had leaked 53 images from ChatGPT users. OpenAI declined to say if the images were AI-generated or identified real people. It also declined to say when the images were posted. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Clubs seek legal advice over Man City charges compensation
Premier League clubs are seeking legal advice as to whether they would have a compensation claim over the Manchester City 115 charges case.
bbc.co.uk
Save or Overpay? What to do with your mortgage if interest rates rise
Save or Overpay? What to do with your mortgage if interest rates rise
theguardian.com
Pope Leo warns AI could lead to losing 'humanity amid a paradise of machines' in Paris – video
Pontiff continues to decry the rise of AI on his visit to France, stressing the importance of retaining 'ethical discernment' in an age when rapidly advancing technology threatens to undermine humanityEurope livePope Leo warns of AI threat to humanity at start of three-day France visit Continue reading...
theguardian.com
How Labour can reform Britain’s pensions triple lock | Letters
Readers offer solutions to the thorny problem facing the government, in response to an article by Gaby HinsliffGaby Hinsliff (Britain needs cash and everyone knows we should break the pensions triple lock. Where is the courage?, 22 September) is right that public policy should not subsidise wealth without limit, but breaking the triple lock is a poor way to target affluent pensioners. Most pensioners are not affluent. Indeed, a quarter of pensioners require benefits in addition to the state pension just to survive and keep a roof over their heads.If the aim is to stop subsidising wealth, a more direct target is the generous tax treatment of private pension savings. A taxpayer contributing £100 to a pension can receive £40 or £45 in tax relief if they pay higher- or additional-rate tax, compared with £20 for the basic rate. Tax and national insurance contributions relief on private pensions costs the government a staggering £84bn a year. Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
Trump and Xi exchange warm words at state dinner but little progress on key issues
Despite diplomatic niceties and gifts, little was shared on substantial issues separating the leaders.
bbc.co.uk
Sir David Beckham nets £38.5m after World Cup ad deals
His stake in DRJB Holdings has entitled him to almost half of its £85.5m in dividend payments.
cnbc.com
India's viral Cockroach Party calls election panel head 'biggest threat' to democracy. Here's why it matters
India’s Cockroach Janta Party demanded election chief Gyanesh Kumar resign after reported internal objections over voter-roll revisions.
cnbc.com
CEO who posted 'Lake America' sweatshirt photos is no longer with the company
Smith on Sept. 11 had posted an allegedly AI-edited photo on Facebook of her family dressed in "Lake America" sweatshirts.
theguardian.com
Rogue AI hacks government system for first time – The Latest
A government database has been hacked for the first time by a rogue OpenAI agent, which infiltrated part of the Australian healthcare scheme in June. OpenAI became aware of the hack in August, but only informed the government in September. Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has expressed his ‘extreme concern’ about the hack, which raises serious AI security concerns for governments around the world. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s UK technology editor Robert Booth – watch on YouTube Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘Your body fights to stay cool’: workers toil in record heat as federal rule frozen
Trump officials and Republicans are rolling back protections against heat-related illnesses and deathsWhen it’s 90F on a hot summer day, Esther Minton wears a long-sleeved shirt to work.“Working outside, you don’t have cover. There’s nowhere for you to really go if you’re on a roof or if you’re on the side of a building,” said Minton, a member of the Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 28 in New York City. “Having the sun beaming on your skin all day long, you’ll never make it through, so what you wear makes a difference.” Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
US backs Elon Musk's bid to overturn €120m EU fine against X
The EU had said X "deceives users" by selling blue ticks without "meaningfully verifying" accounts.
bbc.co.uk
Business Daily
Did trade frenemies find common ground at the White House?
bbc.co.uk
Europe's car makers are in crisis. Will the threat of war rescue them?
Auto executives across Europe hope rearmament can help them flex their industrial muscles once more.
theguardian.com
The lure of the loo: how restaurant bathroom design went wild
Plush or pared back, flatteringly lit or full-on disco camp, a TikTokkable loo is now part of the hospitality experienceAnthony Bourdain was typically forthright when it came to his expectations for the toilet facilities in a food business. “I won’t eat in a restaurant with filthy bathrooms,” wrote the late chef and author, in his seminal, turn-of-the-millennium memoir Kitchen Confidential. “This isn’t a hard call. They let you see the bathrooms. If the restaurant can’t be bothered to replace the puck in the urinal or keep the toilets and floors clean, then just imagine what their refrigeration and work spaces look like.” Setting aside the fact that, in later life, Bourdain softened his stance (“Some of the best food experiences I’ve ever had [have been in] places where they really don’t give a shit [about bathroom cleanliness],” were his words in a 2018 interview) his initial take tells us plenty about what the average customer historically demanded of restaurant restrooms. They needed to be clean. They needed to be functional. They needed, at a push, half-decent hand soap and the faint, reassuring waft of pine-scented floor cleaner.Today, things could hardly be more different. Where once restaurant toilets tended to be a boring, unglamorous afterthought, in recent years, they have emerged as arguably the most unexpectedly attention-grabbing room in the building: atmospherically distinct sites of creativity and muscle-flexing design, where lavish amenities, bespoke lighting, custom soundscapes, selfie mirrors and all manner of other eye-catching flourishes abound, and are documented by social media channels, such as @LoosOfLondon (TikTok followers: 78k). Continue reading...
bbc.co.uk
What's the smallest amount you'd ask a friend to pay back?
We ask New Yorkers to share the smallest amount they'd ask a friend to pay back.
theguardian.com
‘We can’t ride this storm’: the English farmers facing uncertainty after sustainability funding runs dry
After the available money ran out after just six hours, some fear they will have to reverse efforts to boost natureOn Tuesday morning, farmer Peter Hatley logged on to his computer at 10am. England’s 2026 sustainable farming incentive (SFI) was opening for applicants and, after three bad harvests, the money would be a lifeline.But Hatley, who runs a 240-hectare family farm in Cambridgeshire, was faced with repeated error messages. He called the government’s helpline, which he says acknowledged there were problems with the scheme, but says by the time the problem was fixed, the money had gone. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
‘We wanted to prove we didn’t need air conditioning’: the airport cooled by natural ventilation
At Roland Garros airport on Réunion island, the ceiling design funnels a light tropical breeze into the terminal At the arrivals terminal at Roland Garros airport on Réunion island, visitors are greeted by floor-to-ceiling windows framing the lush green mountains of the French Indian Ocean territory.What they may have also expected was the icy chill of air conditioning; this island just off Madagascar sits in the tropical zone to the south of the equator. But instead, the terminal is cooled by a light tropical breeze, the result of natural ventilation built into its unique design. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
The other Post Office scandal: how organised crime launders money on the high street – podcast
Hundreds of millions of pounds of dirty money are being deposited at post offices every year. So why are the police reluctant to investigate the scale of the problem?By Oliver BulloughRead the text version hereSupport the Guardian today: theguardian.com/longreadpod Continue reading...
cnbc.com
Here's why South Korea wants more control over future regional wars
The U.S. would command South Korean units should conflict resume on the Korean peninsula. Now the government wants to end a long-standing diplomatic quirk
bbc.co.uk
X-planes: Are they needed in the new era of drones?
Where do America's X-plane projects fit in an era of cheap drones?
bbc.co.uk
'We're all broke': Would you chase a friend for £5?
What's the smallest amount of money you would ask a friend to pay you back?
bbc.co.uk
Why Australia chose the world's biggest political stage to reveal OpenAI hack
Australia, which has strict social media restrictions and has proposed controls on algorithms and smart glasses, announced the breach at the UN.
bbc.co.uk
How the oil capital of the US welcomed a solar power boom
Texas is now the country's biggest producer of solar-farmed electricity.
bbc.co.uk
Spain battles climate change on several fronts
A summer of wildfires and heatwaves underlines the threats to the country's economy.
bbc.co.uk
The virtual worlds where robots are trained
Training systems that allow robots to negotiate the real world are getting more sophisticated.
bbc.co.uk
Would you buy branded clothing from your favourite tech firm?
Nvidia, OpenAI and Anthropic are all now selling their own limited edition fashion lines.
bbc.co.uk
The extreme engineering of aircraft windows
Few companies have the technology to make aircraft windows which are getting harder to make.
bbc.co.uk
Can Europe recharge its battery industry?
Europe has some promising battery tech, but can it make up ground lost to Chinese battery giants?
bbc.co.uk
I asked my husband to pay into my pension when we had a child - here's why
Molly and Taylor Haylett explain the changes to how they managed their finances when they started a family.
bbc.co.uk
Why some experts increasingly fear AI will take over
AI agents went on an uncontrolled hacking spree, leaving some in the industry worried
bbc.co.uk
Should promotion depend on how workers use AI?
More companies are tying career progression to AI use: is that fair?
bbc.co.uk
'Tirana teeth': Albania hopes to be the new Turkey for dental work
The Balkan nation is aiming to become a new centre for medical tourism.
bbc.co.uk
Aviation faces hotter, stormier skies – and passengers might have to accept more disruption
Are people going to have to increasingly accept more delays and diversions as the effects of climate change intensify?
bbc.co.uk
From 'dog fruit' to darling: India's avocado boom
Demand for avocados is booming in India and local growers hope to grab more of the market.
bbc.co.uk
Why the UK is dithering over what to do about e-scooters
Why is it taking so long for the government to regulate them, and what are the consequences of delay?
bbc.co.uk
Why Gen Z are planning for life without a state pension
Many younger people do not believe the state pension will exist when they are older
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